Davis Cup 2015: Murray brothers can lead British boost - BBC Sport BBC Sport Davis Cup 2015: Murray brothers can lead British boost By Russell Fuller A capacity crowd of 7,700 is expected in Glasgow Davis Cup: Great Britain v United States Venue: Emirates Arena, Glasgow Dates: 6-8 March Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, Red Button, the BBC Sport website, mobile, the BBC Sport app and Connected TV. When Belgium, Slovakia, Hungary and Luxembourg played Davis Cup ties in Glasgow in recent years, there was little fuss and little fanfare. The stakes were relatively low, and the venue chosen accordingly. But now, with Great Britain back in the World Group and facing the United States in its first top-flight home tie since 2002, one of Glasgow's Commonwealth Games venues has been hired. There are two Murrays in the team for the first time in four years, and GB has at least an even chance of repeating last year's memorable victory over the US in San Diego. Why does this tie matter? It is 13 long years since Britain last had a home World Group tie to promote.

The Swedish team of Thomas Enqvist and Thomas Johansson snuffed out GB's aspirations that year as they won both final day singles against Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski. It is overly simplistic to say that high-profile home Davis Cup ties will boost the sport's flagging participation levels, but British success and greater exposure to what can be a thrilling format has to be in the long-term interests of the sport. Media playback is not supported on this device Murray seals historic Davis Cup win There is also the prospect of a home quarter-final in July against France or Germany, should Britain come out on top at the Emirates Arena over the next three days. The tie would be played in the week after Wimbledon, although I understand the All England Club has already been ruled out as hosts as there would be insufficient time to prepare the courts. This first-round tie has special significance for Scotland. Captain Leon Smith has made no secret of his desire to give the country that produced Andy and Jamie Murray, Elena Baltacha, Colin Fleming and Jamie Baker an opportunity to stage tennis of the very highest level.

"Scotland has punched above its weight in terms of what it could deliver British tennis and with so much going on through the British summer down south, there's nothing for Scottish fans to back up what they see on the TV," Smith told me. "While Andy Murray is still active, with his best years still ahead of him, it's very important they get to see live, meaningful, competitive tennis because that can inspire the next group to come through." Where will the tie be won? There is the potential for unpredictable results throughout this first-round tie. Andy Murray will be heavily favoured to beat Donald Young on the opening day, but will expect John Isner to be a very awkward customer on Sunday - even if the 6ft 10in American's serve has been somewhat blunted by the slow court that has been made to order. US captain Jim Courier has called James Ward "a streaky player", saying "he has good patches and bad patches" In a similar vein, James Ward will not be underestimated by the American team. His stunning victory over Sam Querrey in San Diego laid the platform for a run to the cusp of the world's top 100.

Wins have been hard to come by recently as he plays more matches at tour level, but should it boil down to his deciding singles against Young, then Ward would have much in his favour. He may be conceding 64 places in the rankings, but will be able to count on the support of nearly 8,000 boisterous fans and his Davis Cup experience. This is his 10th tie, and only Young's second. Whatever happens in the singles, Britain will be confident of victory if they win Saturday's doubles - even if there is always a big if when the Bryan brothers are on the other side of the net. American twins Bob and Mike Bryan became the first doubles pair to win 100 titles together with victory at the US Open in September Bob and Mike have lost only four of their 26 Davis Cup doubles rubbers and also found the time to win 16 Grand Slam titles and finish as the year-end number one a record 10 times. But if you throw Andy Murray into the mix, add his brother Jamie, and then allow the Glasgow crowd to bring the match to the boil, anything is possible.

Brothers reunited Andy Murray claimed on Thursday that he is "unlikely" to take part in the doubles, but it would be wise not to read too much into that. Dom Inglot is in fine form and may still have a part to play if Murray gets drawn into an arduous opening day singles. Otherwise, it is hard to imagine the double Grand Slam champion sitting on the bench in his native country if the tie is still very much in the balance - especially as Jamie is playing so well and is in a British shirt for the first time since 2011. It will be a first chance in four years for the Scottish fans to see Andy Murray in action on home soil "I have played with a lot of different partners, but if I was to choose one person to play with I would pick Jamie," Andy told me. "I have played with him in doubles since we were 10 years old, so even though we might not have played a lot the last few years, in your head somewhere you have those instincts and we do play quite well together. "Jamie normally tries to take the lead because he's the older brother," he continued, with a smile. "On the court, he likes to tell me what to do often.

I don't like that - especially when he's telling me where to serve. It doesn't stop him from telling me, though." The Murray brothers against the Bryan twins is a fine proposition - but may not prove decisive. Sunday's singles are far from one-sided, and this one could well go the distance. BBC coverage Friday, 6 March: Britain v USA, 13:00-16:30 BBC Two; 14:30-21:00 BBC Radio 5 live sports extra Saturday, 7 March: Britain v USA, 13:00-16:30 BBC One; 13:00-16:55, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra Sunday, 8 March: Britain v USA, 13:00-15:50 BBC One; 13:00-20:00, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra Jonathan Overend previews Great Britain's Davis Cup tie against the United States in a BBC Radio 5 live podcast with tennis correspondent Russell Fuller and coach Miles Maclagan. There are interviews too with Andy Murray, the Bryan brothers, Jim Courier and Andre Agassi.

Download the podcast from our website. USA vs. Great Britain: Schedule, Live Stream and Davis Cup Predictions | Bleacher Report USA vs. Great Britain: Schedule, Live Stream and Davis Cup Predictions By Rory Marsden , Featured Columnist Mar 6, 2015 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Jan Kruger/Getty Images 0 Comments Andy Murray leads Great Britain in their first home World Group Davis Cup tie since 2002 this weekend as they take on the USA in a first-round clash in Glasgow. In a rematch of last year's first-round encounter—which Great Britain won 3-1 in San Diego—Murray is joined in Leon Smith's team by his brother, Jamie, along with James Ward and Dom Inglot. US skipper Jim Courier has called up world-beating doubles team Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, as well as Donald Young and world No. 20 John Isner. Read on for predictions ahead of what is sure to be a closely-fought clash in Glasgow, as well as scheduling and live streaming information. USA vs. Great Britain: Provisional Davis Cup Schedule Date Andy Murray vs. Donald Young March 6 James Ward vs.

John Isner March 7 Dom Inglot and Jamie Murray vs. Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan March 8 John Isner vs. Andy Murray March 8 James Ward vs. Donald Young DavisCup.com Live streaming is available via Eurosport Player and BBC iPlayer in the UK and The Tennis Channel in the US, with proceedings beginning at 1 p.m. GMT/8 a.m. ET each day. Home Advantage Set to Favour Great Britain Jan Kruger/Getty Images At the same stage last year, Great Britain overcame the USA at the San Diego Padres baseball stadium in front of what was a somewhat placid crowd. Such a serene atmosphere is sure not to be repeated this weekend when 7,500 people pack the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, the vast majority of whom will be backing the home side. This could prove essential in deciding the outcome of what is a very evenly matched tie. Indeed, Smith is planning to use the home crowd to spur his side toward victory, per BBC Sport's Piers Newbury : "I think when we played the Americans last year they perhaps didn't make the most of home advantage in terms of atmosphere, and we will." Jan Kruger/Getty Images World No.

5 Murray has not competed in his home country since 2011, and he is likely to receive deafening support, along with his brother, Jamie, who returns to the Davis Cup team for the first time since the same year. Who will prevail in Glasgow's Davis Cup tie? Great Britain 32.3% Total votes: 65 It is set to be an emotionally charged occasion if the pair join to take on the world No. 1 Bryan brothers in Saturday's doubles, a potentially galvanising factor for Team GB. However, despite Andy's obvious quality and his knowledge of Jamie's game, the Bryans should prevail in Saturday's rubber, given their status and quality in world doubles.

Should the Murray brothers not play in the doubles, Inglot's participation alongside Jamie could be key, given his recent record against the Bryans, per BBC Sport's Russell Fuller, but Smith may yet bank on the strength of familial bonds: Dom Inglot (with Florin Mergea) beat the Bryan brothers for second time this year: Davis Cup captain Leon Smith was watching in Dubai — Russell Fuller (@russellcfuller) February 26, 2015 Equally, Murray should prevail in both of his singles matches against Isner and Young, his form in 2015 having been improved upon since last season, and the 27-year-old two-time Grand Slam winner is clearly raring to go, per Newbury : It's the biggest home tie that I've played. Because tickets sold out quickly, it shows that there's a passion here for the sport. I would expect that they'll get right into it. It looks like a great arena, it's the perfect size. If it's packed I'm sure they'll make a lot of noise and get right behind the team. World No. 20 Isner is also expected to see off the challenge of Ward, meaning the British No.

2's clash with Young could be the deciding factor. The pair met on grass last year and Young won fairly easily in straight sets, but it will be a different scenario altogether at the weekend. As tennis writer David Law notes, Ward should have a better chance against Young than a number of other US opponents who could have appeared in the first-round tie: I'd fancy James Ward's chances against Donald Young more than against Querrey or Johnson. You? — DavidLaw (@DavidLawTennis) February 25, 2015 Given the home advantage, Great Britain should just be able to edge the US in one of the two key encounters—either the doubles or Ward's clash with Young—and take a second consecutive victory over the Americans in the Davis Cup. Predicted Score: Great Britain 3-2 USA Dan Evans is handed GB chance in Davis Cup semi-final with Australia | Sport | The Guardian Davis Cup Dan Evans is handed GB chance in Davis Cup semi-final with Australia The world No300 will play alongside Andy Murray in Glasgow as Leon Smith plays a hunch in preference to James Ward and Kyle Edmund Great Britain’s Andy Murray and Dan Evans, left, after the Davis Cup draw at the Emirates Arena, Glasgow.

Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA Thursday 17 September 2015 17.24 EDT First published on Thursday 17 September 2015 17.00 EDT Close This article is 1 year old Dan Evans, once the rebel without a pause button in some establishment estimates, has been handed not only a chance to help Great Britain into a Davis Cup final for the first time in 37 years but an opportunity to revive his own mercurial career at 25. Leon Smith’s decision on Thursday to pick Birmingham’s most laid-back athlete ahead of the injured Kyle Edmund, who is 200 places above him in the rankings at 100, and the woefully out-of-form James Ward (141 after losing nine straight) for the semi-final against Australia this weekend is a brave call, catching everyone concerned off guard. If Evans can beat Bernard Tomic in the second singles on Friday – a meeting of two graduates from the university of unpredictability – and replicate his victory over the Australian at the US Open two years ago , Smith will be a hero.

But it is a serious gamble, one decided upon, no doubt, after consultation with the team’s spearhead, Andy Murray. Evans and Tomic follow the world No3 on to court after he opens the tie against his some-time hitting partner, Thanasi Kokkinakis, so there is at least a chance of a 2-0 lead for Great Britain before the doubles on Saturday when Dominic Inglot and Jamie Murray, who are in excellent form, play Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth. The winners here play either Belgium or Argentina in the final in November. The story of the tie, though, is Evans, and nobody can be sure that he can carry his excellent summer form into the cauldron of a Davis Cup, even though he has done so in the past. He has won 29 of his past 33 matches away from the glamour of the Tour, so form and fitness are not issues; the challenge is to play Tomic’s lazily struck bombs as he might an obscure opponent in a Futures match in Egypt.

He spoke candidly – his preferred way – about his wandering existence since injury, and his steady recovery since high summer, one interrupted by a phone call from Smith after he had pulled out of a Challenger in Turkey at the weekend. “My flights were booked and paid for,” Evans said. “I decided on the [Monday] evening I wasn’t going to fly because I had to be up early to get to Luton. That was a bit of a jaunt, and they wouldn’t give me a late start. I was at my sister’s. I woke up on Tuesday and I’d had a missed call, a message [from Smith]. I got on the next flight to Glasgow and I was here.” Such has been the nomadic existence of this nonchalant, gifted player: a chance call here, a missed phone call there. Smith has gambled on Evans before when he was languishing in the wilderness, selecting him ahead of Jamie Baker for the tie against Russia in Coventry two years ago despite a ranking of 325, and he delivered by thrashing Evgeny Donskoy, who was 245 places higher than him, in the closing reverse singles.

Victory there hauled Great Britain out of the doldrums. So here they are, banking on Evans to help them towards winning the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936 – and that final was against Australia. It was the ninth and last time Great Britain won the goblet and Fred Perry’s farewell gift to the mandarins of British tennis, whom he considered overbearing snobs. Perry packed his bags soon afterwards and headed for America and the professional game. There is a bit of working-class defiance in Evans, too. Struck down by injury, Evo, as everyone calls him, returned in January in a $10,000 grasscourt tournament in Egypt. He wasn’t impressed. “The hotel was fine but the courts were a shambles, shocking. Not a lot of things happened for me on the tennis court. It’s not really tennis. It’s borderline.” There followed a struggle through a string of minor tournaments as the tendinitis in his left knee slowly eased, but he still was on the outside looking in, and had to get a wildcard for the qualification tournament at Wimbledon, falling one win short.

“It was a choice to have an operation but I didn’t want to go down that route. It’s manageable. It’s not very pretty playing in Egypt or Wimbledon wildcard qualies. I’d like to think I’m better than a lot of people playing there. It’s not easy. I’ve come through stronger for that.” He had to watch Great Britain’s win over the United States here in March on television, and recalled, “It was amazing watching it, Wardy beating [John] Isner. Actually, it wasn’t nice to watch it, although I was happy for him. Everyone who competes wants that to be them.” Everything comes unvarnished with Evans. It is one of the qualities Smith recognises and admires in him. He picked him because he trusts his talent and his big-match temperament. “It wasn’t an easy decision,” the captain said. “Dan has played an awful lot of tennis this summer, won a lot of matches, mostly at Futures level, where winning really helps in terms of confidence. Kyle, although he was almost fit, still had a fall the other day. It wasn’t worth risking anything happening over the weekend, especially when you go in with two singles players and two doubles players.

If anything should have happened to Kyle on the Friday, we would have been up against it. For James, it came at maybe at the wrong time after a tough summer.” Tomic, meanwhile, expects this match to be as difficult as their last meeting, when Evans was in the form of his life at the US Open. “We were all surprised,” Tomic said. “Obviously they picked him [because] he did beat me in the US. I was up 6-1 and 3-0, and I couldn’t make a ball after that. That’s all I remember. “It was a very, very windy day, he was very tough and very confident, he’d beaten Kei Nishikori prior to playing me, so he was obviously playing well.I had a chance. I was comfortable and cruising, he started playing more free and he beat me.

So it’s not an easy match – it’s tough for me.” Andy & Jamie Murray named in GB Davis Cup team to face US - BBC Sport BBC Sport Andy & Jamie Murray named in GB Davis Cup team to face US 24 Feb 2015 It is four years since both Murray brothers were named in the Davis Cup team Davis Cup: Great Britain v USA Venue: Emirates Arena, Glasgow Dates: 6-8 March Coverage: Live on BBC TV, Radio 5 live sports extra, Red Button, the BBC Sport website, mobile, the BBC Sport app and Connected TV. Andy Murray could team up with his brother Jamie in the doubles after both were named in Great Britain's Davis Cup team to face the United States. The tie takes place in Glasgow from 6-8 March and will be Britain's first World Group contest at home since 1999. The doubles could see the Murrays face another set of brothers in Bob and Mike Bryan, the world number one pairing. James Ward is in line to take the second singles spot behind Andy Murray, with Dom Inglot making up the team. British number three Kyle Edmund will travel to Glasgow as the reserve player.

The US will led by captain Jim Courier, with world number 20 John Isner in the number one singles spot and 45th-ranked Donald Young taking the second. BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller: "Jamie Murray's fine start to the season made him impossible for Leon Smith to ignore: having the Murray brothers on the other side of the net, and seven thousand home fans in their ear, will give the Bryan brothers plenty to think about. Dom Inglot will deputise for Andy in the unlikely event he doesn't play the doubles, with Kyle Edmund still an option should there be injury concerns about either of the singles players. James Ward's performance in San Diego last year, and his form over the past six months, has firmed up his position as Britain's number two." Jamie Murray returns to the British team for the first time since 2011 after a strong start to 2015 that has seen him win the doubles title in Brisbane and reach the final in Rotterdam alongside Australian partner John Peers. "I'm happy and proud to be back in the Davis Cup team," said Murray, a year older than brother Andy at 29.

"It's been seven years since I last played a World Group match so to be playing at home in Glasgow will make it extra special." Inglot, ranked 10 places below Jamie Murray at 41 in the doubles standings, offers another option and even the possibility of resting Andy Murray on day two of the tie. Great Britain 3: Jamie Murray (31, doubles) 3: Bob Bryan (1, doubles) 4: Dom Inglot (41, doubles) 4: Mike Bryan (1, doubles) Captain: Leon Smith Captain: Jim Courier Ward, 28, has firmly established himself as the number two singles player in Britain at 108 in the world, and the Londoner enjoyed a memorable win over Querrey when GB beat the US in San Diego last year. "We've been able to choose our strongest possible team, which is of course spearheaded by Andy Murray who is significantly ahead of where he was 12 months ago," said GB captain Leon Smith. "The tie will be a huge deal for him personally as he returns to play in Scotland for the first time since winning Wimbledon in 2013.

"In James Ward we have somebody who has already proven himself against the US Davis Cup team, and I'd back him again to put in another excellent performance after some consistent recent form has seen him on the verge of cracking the top 100 for the first time. "I've selected our top two doubles players in Jamie and Dom, and again they've showed real consistency this year to earn their place in the team." Davis Cup first round 2015 Germany v France Davis Cup 2015: Daily Scores, Schedule and 1st Round Bracket Results | Bleacher Report Davis Cup 2015: Daily Scores, Schedule and 1st Round Bracket Results By Mike Chiari , Featured Columnist Mar 6, 2015 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Jan Kruger/Getty Images 1 Comment The Davis Cup is the pre-eminent international competition in tennis, as it has been contested since 1900. With such a rich history, all 16 competing nations would undoubtedly love to put themselves in the record books in 2015.

While some of the world's best players have opted to sit out the event either due to injury or a desire for rest, that doesn't apply to the likes of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and many others. With several elite players in the field, there is no shortage of intrigue surrounding the opening round. As teams attempt to advance to July's quarterfinal round, here is a day-by-day breakdown of the Davis Cup action taking place across the globe.

Current Overall Results 2015 Davis Cup Overall First-Round Results Team 1 2015 Davis Cup Day 3 Singles Results Player KAZ; 7-6, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 Leonardo Mayer (ARG) ARG; 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 5-7, 5-7, 15-13 Carlos Berlocq (ARG) JPN; 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 4-6 Vasek Pospisil (CAN) SUI; 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-1 Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) BEL; 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 DavisCup.com The Bryan brothers kept the United States alive with a tense five-set victory Saturday. The Americans' hopes of reaching the quarterfinals ended in the first match Sunday, however, as Andy Murray knocked off John Isner to advance Great Britain.

It's the second straight year Great Britain has knocked out the U.S. with Murray delivering the final blow. He won a close first set in a tiebreak and never looked back, taking advantage of a tiring Isner, who lost in five sets on the opening day. BBC Tennis pointed out the lack of success on return, which ultimately doomed Isner twice: Isner has been on court for 7 hours in Glasgow. Against the combination of Ward and Murray, he's broken serve once. pic.twitter.com/chYqMKZrVx — BBC Tennis (@bbctennis) March 8, 2015 The U.S. Davis Cup Team congratulated the winning side: Congrats to Great Britain, who win #GBRUSA tie 3-1 w/ #Murray beating #Isner 7-6, 6-3, 7-6. #USATennis #DavisCup pic.twitter.com/OoVpuihG6f — US Davis Cup Team (@USDavisCupTeam) March 8, 2015 Great Britain moves on to play France in the next round. Kazakhstan also advanced with an upset of Italy.

Mikhail Kukushkin won both of his singles matches, and Aleksandr Nedovyesov came up with a thrilling five-set triumph over Fabio Fognini in the deciding match. Ben Rothenberg of The New York Times noted the conclusion: Aleksandr Nedovyesov beats Fabio Fognini 7-5 in the fifth to give Kazakhstan a surprise 3-2 win over 2014 semifinalist Italy. #DavisCup — Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) March 8, 2015 Stuart Fraser of the Daily Mail highlighted the country's surprising success in the opening round of the event in recent years: Kazakhstan have done it again! Into the quarter-finals for the fourth time in five years as Nedovyesov beats Fognini in a five-set decider. — Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) March 8, 2015 Kazakhstan found out its quarterfinal opponent a short time later. That's because as Nedovyesov beat Fognini, Australia's Bernard Tomic was putting the finishing touches on a straight-sets win over Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic.

It was his second victory of the round and gave the Aussies the necessary three points. Not only does the successful series set up a very winnable quarterfinal with Kazakhstan, but Australia also gets to serve as the host. So there's a golden opportunity to at least reach the semifinals. In fact, that should be the expectation. Darren Cahill of ESPN praised the effort of Tomic: Gotta hand it to Bernie Tomic. Been putting in the hard yards the last 6 months & it's paying dividends. Steps up for the Aussies @DavisCup 👍 — Darren Cahill (@darren_cahill) March 8, 2015 The Davis Cup provided draw details for the next round: We know our first #DavisCup quarterfinal! Australia will host Kazakhstan on 17-19 July! pic.twitter.com/ymipFssNID — Davis Cup (@DavisCup) March 8, 2015 Canada and Belgium also punched their tickets for the quarterfinals on Sunday, setting up what will be a fun head-to-head matchup. The Canadians got through after Vasek Pospisil covered for teammate Milos Raonic and beat Go Soeda in straight sets.

Kei Nishikori made it interesting by beating Raonic earlier in the day, but his effort was all for naught as Soeda was outclassed by Pospisil. Belgium also needed the fifth match in order to advance, with David Goffin taking out Adrien Bossel in straight sets. Day 2 Results 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 DavisCup.com The Italian combination of Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli was able to put their side in the driver's seat heading into Sunday singles with a four-set win over Andrei Golubev and Alexander Nedovesov of Kazakhstan. Fognini and Bolelli are ideal Davis Cup players. Not only are they solid singles competitors, but they also excel as a pair in doubles. They illustrated that by winning the Australian Open doubles crown back in January. They raced out to a two-set lead before Golubev and Nedovesov fought back in the third. An extended, tense tiebreak fell in the Kazakhs' favor. But the Italians were able to regroup in time to secure the win without needing a fifth set.

Fognini sent along a picture of the winning side: — Fabio Fognini (@fabiofogna) March 7, 2015 France locked up a spot in July's quarterfinals thanks to Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut, which easily dispatched Benjamin Becker and Andre Begemann of Germany in straight sets. The win gave the French side an insurmountable 3-0 lead. The French Federation of Tennis highlighted the celebration of the first team to reach the quarters. Next up will be the winner of the fixture between the United States and Great Britain. Serbia joined France in the quarterfinals thanks to Novak Djokovic and Nenad Zimonjic. The top-ranked player on the ATP Tour had already picked up a singles victory on Friday. He stepped right back up today to finish off Croatia. Tennis Panorama News notes the Serbians will get the winners of Brazil against Argentina: Djokovic/Zimonjic clinch the tie for Serbia winning the doubles rubber 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 for 3-0.

Serbia to play winner of #ARGBRA #DavisCup — Tennis Panorama News (@TennisNewsTPN) March 7, 2015 Australia had a chance to become the third nation in the next round. The Czech Republic team of Jirí Vesely and Adam Pavlasek prevented their side's elimination, however, with a hard-fought victory over Sam Groth and Lleyton Hewitt in five sets. The Davis Cup showcased the comeback triumph that kept the Czechs alive heading into the second pair of singles matches: #CZEAUS Pavlasek & @jiri_vesely keep the tie alive with a 16 76(2) 36 76(4) 62 win v Groth/Hewitt! Czechs trail 2-1 pic.twitter.com/sFVtgtSriN — Davis Cup (@DavisCup) March 7, 2015 After splitting the Day 1 singles clashes, Belgium was able to give itself a slight edge with a doubles victory.

It was Ruben Bemelmans and Niels Desein bouncing back after a lackluster opening set to edge the Swiss side of Adrien Bossel and Michael Lammer. Switzerland is without Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka. In turn, former Belgian player Filip Dewulf is confident the doubles win should lead to his home side advancing: Bemelmans-Desein beat Lammer-Bossel 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Belgium-Switzerland: 2-1. This should do it, @stevedarcishark will finish the job. — Dewulf Filip (@GraveyardFilip) March 7, 2015 For the Americans, the pressure was on the Bryan brothers—Bob and Mike—to keep their hopes of advancing alive for another day. A shocking five-set loss by John Isner after leading 2-0 on Friday put the team's backs against the wall. It appeared the world's top doubles tandem was on cruise control through two sets.

But for a second straight day Great Britain, this time the team of Dominic Inglot and Jamie Murray, was able to fight all the way back to force a deciding fifth set. This time the United States regrouped in time to get the point. Not before an extended battle, though. The Bryans were finally able to get the break a 7-7 and then closed it out on serve to at least give their team a chance on Sunday. The U.S. Davis Cup Team celebrated the escape: Survive in five! #Bryans keep #USATennis in it, win 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-7, 9-7 over Murray & Inglot. #GBRUSA pic.twitter.com/AYitPDpeiB — US Davis Cup Team (@USDavisCupTeam) March 7, 2015 Bob Bryan thanked fans for the great atmosphere: Thx Glasgow for a fun day of dubs. Was a helluva match & we're happy to keep the team alive. Looking forward to Day3.

pic.twitter.com/a4hpGfg9hX — Bob Bryan (@Bryanbros) March 7, 2015 The Americans still face an uphill battle to complete the comeback. They'll be happy to take their chances after nearly getting knocked out in truly agonizing fashion, though. Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares scored a straight-sets triumph over Carlos Berlocq and Diego Schwartzman to give Brazil a 2-1 lead over Argentina. After a tight first set, the Brazilians were able to settle in and left very few openings for their South American counterparts. Caro Paquin of BA Tennis World noted it was a tough ask of the Argentine pair: Let's just hope ARG fans won't be too hard on Berlocq and especially Schwartzman. Melo/Soares are a seasoned pair + it's Diego's 1st rubber. — Caro Paquin (@caropaquin80) March 7, 2015 In the final match of the day, Canada grabbed a 2-1 lead over Japan after a doubles victory from Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil.

The Canadian duo needed the full five sets to get past Go Soeda and Yasutaka Uchiyama. After the match, Nestor said that he wasn't expecting any less of a fight from Soeda and Uchiyama, per the Canadian Press, via Sportsnet : You are playing Davis Cup and you have to expect they are going to play their best. Sometimes I get a little frustrated because you want to go more straight forward. There is a reason you are ranked higher and you want them to fold. That doesn’t happen. Canada is now in a great position heading into the final singles round. It just needs either Milos Raonic or Pospisil to prevail, and it will be through. Day 1 Results The opening day of Davis Cup competition featured everything a tennis fan could possibly ask for. There were dominant performances from top players, a few upsets and plenty of interesting matchups all over the world.

Here is a rundown of how things played out Friday, courtesy of DavisCup.com , with two days of first-round action still on tap: 2015 Davis Cup Day 1 Singles Results Player 1 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 DavisCup.com Perhaps the most highly anticipated matchup of the first round pits the United States against Great Britain. The Americans have won the Davis Cup more than anyone else, with 32 titles, while the Brits are third with nine. While neither squad is considered to be among the best currently, they put on an entertaining show at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland. The Brits were heavily favored in the opening match as world No. 5 Andy Murray took on Donald Young. Despite Team USA being the obvious underdogs, it had some recent history on its side. As pointed out by Ben Rothenberg of The New York Times, Murray entered the match having struggled against American players in the month of March for some unexplained reason: Fun fact: Andy Murray has lost his last four matches against Americans in month of March, despite being 54-12 vs USA overall.

#idesofmurray — Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) March 6, 2015 Murray could have let that stat get in his head, but any concern was quickly erased as he came out of the gates firing. He breezed through the first two sets of the match, allowing Young to take just one game in each. With Murray rolling, his older brother and fellow Team GB member Jamie Murray couldn't help but be impressed: Andy in full on beast mode #daviscup — Jamie Murray (@jamie_murray) March 6, 2015 It would have been easy for Young to fold with Murray rolling on home soil, but that certainly wasn't the case. The young American battled back to take the third set 6-4, and he received approval from teammates Bob and Mike Bryan: After getting brutalized in the first two sets, Donald Young takes the third out of nowhere, 6-4 over Murray. Bryans appreciate his effort.

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) March 6, 2015 That would turn out to be the high point of Young's day, though, as Murray returned to dominant form in the fourth set to win it 6-2 and take the match as well. According to DavisCup.com , winning in such impressive fashion in Scotland meant a lot to Murray: I was born here so to play in front of a packed arena in Glasgow is very special. I'm glad I managed to play a good match and get the win. The emotions were running pretty high and I played an extremely high level in the first two sets and it was tough to keep that level up so I had a slight lull in the third set. With Murray giving Britain a 1-0 lead overall, the pressure shifted toward big John Isner, who likely needed a win over James Ward in order to keep Team USA's hopes of advancing to the quarters alive. The big-serving Isner was favored, much like Murray was for Great Britain, but there was even more riding on his shoulders with the Americans facing a deficit. Isner and Ward matched each other shot for shot in the opening set, which resulted in the need for a tiebreak.

Per Christopher Clarey of The New York Times, Isner is certainly no stranger to those types of high-pressure situations: Tiebreakers are to John Isner what ponds are to frogs — Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) March 6, 2015 His tiebreak experience ultimately paid off as he took it 7-4 to win the opening set. The second set seemed destined for a tiebreak as well, but the American was able to strike a major blow at 5-5. According to Dan King of The Sun, Isner manufactured the first break of the match for either player to go up 6-5: Ward is battling hard, but he's broken for the first time in the match and at a crucial time. Isner to serve for the second set at 6-5. — Dan King (@DanKing_1974) March 6, 2015 With his serve humming along, Isner made no mistake by holding once again to win the second set 7-5 and pulled within one set of victory. All signs pointed toward Isner closing it out, but he showed his first sign of weakness in the third set.

Ward was able to break him twice with the second one whipping the Scottish crowd into a frenzy, per Arash Madani of Sportsnet: Davis Cup drama begins. Down two-sets-to-none in Glasgow, James Ward breaks John Isner and leads 5-2 in the third. Building is rockin'. — Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) March 6, 2015 Ward closed out the third set on serve to take it 6-3, which shifted the pressure back toward Isner in a virtual must-win situation. Isner put himself in a comfortable position, as he forced the second tiebreak of the match in the fourth. It was Ward who showed nerves of steel, though, by winning the tiebreak and forcing a decisive fifth set. According to Barry Flatman of The Sunday Times, Isner was his own worst enemy due to a bevy of unforced errors: 5 unforced errors from John Isner in 4th set tiebreak. James Ward now looks the fresher as they set out in the 5th and final set.

— Barry Flatman (@Barry_FlatmanST) March 6, 2015 With no tiebreak in the fifth set, Isner and Ward seemed poised to slug it out well beyond the length of a typical match, and that is precisely what happened. The Brit constantly put the pressure on Isner as he served first, but the big American continued to dig deep and hold serve in his own right. After several break points and match points were avoided on both sides, Ward was finally able to put Isner away by breaking him at love to take it 15-13. With that victory, the Brits put the Americans on the ropes as another Murray singles match is still in Great Britain's back pocket. In other action, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic gave Serbia an early advantage over Croatia by cruising past an overmatched Mate Delic in straight sets. While Delic put forth a strong effort, Djoker proved to be too much.

After his triumph to put Serbia on top 1-0, Nole showed his support for the home fans, per Davis Cup on Twitter: Here's what @DjokerNole had to say to the Serbian crowd after his straight sets win over Delic pic.twitter.com/DoqRWprNan — Davis Cup (@DavisCup) March 6, 2015 Djokovic's showing was supplemented by teammate Viktor Troicki, as he overcame a two-set deficit to score a comeback victory over Croatia's Borna Coric. Serbia now has a commanding 2-0 lead, which will be extremely difficult to come back from since Djokovic still has another singles match on tap. Every tie is technically still up for grabs, and there is little doubt that many of them will come down to the wire in exciting fashion. Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

Question: When Great Britain beat the USA in the Davis Cup in March 2015, who was the other British singles player besides Andy Murray?
Answer: James Ward